CHANGES 2025 by The Oracle

Recruiting decisions made in recent years by Melbourne's list management team have left the club with plenty of work to do in the upcoming trade, free agency, and draft period.  

That might not be such a bad thing because the decisions in question have left the club in a good position going forward with the drafting of several high-calibre youngsters, including Caleb Windsor, Koltyn Tholstrup, Harvey Langford, and Xavier Lindsay, all of whom have demonstrated potential to become long-term players for the club. 

On the debit side is the fact that the cost incurred to secure such exceptional talents, combined with some uninspiring trades, further exacerbated by the decline in the team’s poor on-field performance and its declining external profile, has resulted in a significant depletion of draft picks and player trade stock, essential components in a successful trading and drafting process.

The list managers were aware last year of the high end Next Generation Talent that was likely to be available to a number of clubs in the first round of the draft  and that this would clog up the system and make things tough for some clubs involved who already had little draft currency. One projected draft day scenario suggests that up to ten NGAs might be picked in the first round of the opening night of the draft. That's problematic for Melbourne has as its first selection, a pick that comes early in the second round and might end up somewhere in the thirties!

For the Demons, they have  NGA talent Toby Sinnema, a wingman from Dandenong Stingrays and father son nomination, high leaping Kalani White a near-200cm utility who boasts great flexibility who could play ruck or in a key position on the horizon. While neither are expected to be taken in the opening round of the draft, the club’s recruiters will have to keep in mind their cost in draft points should a nomination come for them at some stage.

There are two other factors that fans are keeping an eye on as we enter the business end of the AFL season and approach the trade and free agency period when no doubt there will be plenty of jostling for players and trade picks. The Demons have yet to appoint their new coach and, whoever that might be, his views would have to be considered on major list management decisions. The other factor is the continuing participation of the Casey Demons in the VFL finals series. Some players know their fate but others are fighting to retain list spots. It’s still very much up in the air for quite a few of them.

In the meantime, we do know that veterans Tom McDonald and Jake Melksham have had their contracts renewed for a further year and the only guaranteed new face for 2026 is 194cm college basketballer Oscar Berry who has committed to joining the club as a Category B rookie. He has yet to be formally added to the list so the situation remains as follows:-

PRIMARY LIST: —

Jed Adams Jack Billings Jake Bowey Tom Campbell Kade Chandler Tom Fullarton Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Blake Howes Matthew Jefferson Aidan Johnson Ed Langdon Harvey Langford Bailey Laurie Jake Lever Xavier Lindsay Tom McDonald Judd McVee Steven May Jake Melksham Clayton Oliver Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Christian Salem Harry Sharp Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Koltyn Tholstrup Daniel Turner Jacob van Rooyen Jack Viney Caleb Windsor Taj Woewodin  

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A 

Kynan Brown Jai Culley Jack Henderson Marty Hore Luker Kentfield Oliver Sestan Will Verrell 

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B  

Ricky Mentha Jnr 

INACTIVE LIST: 

Shane McAdam (Primary) Andy Moniz-Wakefield (Category A Rookie)